​While the seniors were off on their experiential learning trip in Yosemite National Park, the remaining high school students stepped out of their comfort zones and immersed themselves in a cross-curricular project focused on world cultures.

“Since our experiential trips don't always align, we occasionally have 3-4 days where a portion of the high school is gone,” said Head of High School Jay Huston. “Instead of just showing movies or teaching a mini-unit, pods allow us to do something unique and exploratory for the students on campus.”

[pod] Not an acronym, but a collective noun for the three multi-grade groups of students.

“We wanted to have all the students experience the same day trip, which was embedded in the pods week,” said Jay. “We chose the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco and then built the focus of the pods around it.”

Each pod was assigned a group of cultures to explore: Asian, African, or Indigenous Peoples.

Although the cultures vary wildly, the basic structure of the project was much the same. Each morning, students worked to create a Google slideshow about a particular aspect of their assigned culture.

“I chose to research the Ming Dynasty, because I have had a poster of it hanging in my bedroom since I was really little,” said one sophomore in the Asia pod. “I learned that the Ming Dynasty was responsible for major improvements to China’s government system.”

After a few hours of intense investigating, the students relaxed by watching a movie about or by the culture.

“We watched the movie Smoke Signals, which was created by two people who are themselves American Indians, one of whom is the author of the book we’re reading,” said High School English Teacher John Barnett, who worked with the Indigenous Peoples pod. Smoke Signals screenplay writer Sherman Alexie is the author of The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian, which several 9th grade students are currently reading.

Afternoons were dedicated to planning, buying, and cooking a meal from the assigned culture.

“These students need the learn vocation skills like cooking. How do we tie that into academics?” asked John rhetorically. “This was an opportunity for us to get the kids to learn without thinking they were in a class.”

On the last day of the project, all of the students gathered for a culminating event where they ate the dishes prepared by each pod. Following the feast, students were invited to present their Google slideshow to the group.

“The interdisciplinary projects are a lot of work. It requires a lot of communication among the staff, and it’s a mix of structured and unstructured time, which isn’t easy for our kids,” said John. “But I also think it’s really important, and I hope we can continue the tradition next year.”

Interscholastic athletic competitions—whether they be badmitten or basketball—are emblematic of the American teenage lifestyle. And yet, despite the seeming pervasiveness of such activities, a whole section of the population is ofttimes absent from the try-outs, pep-rallies, and half-time shows key to the quintessential high school experience.

“We are the tiny schools that the California Interscholastic Federation can’t serve,” said Sterne School Athletic Director Craig Brewer. “We need a different flexibility with all the rules from eligibility to attendance to age to gender to actual game rules and sports chosen.”

So what do you do when there is no sports league for your school? You create your own. Enter the Bay Area Small School Athletic League (BASSAL).

“The league is still in the creation stages with the most together sport being basketball,” said Stanbridge Academy Athletic Director Mark Kelley.

There are currently four schools in the league. In addition to Stanbridge and Sterne, Star Academy in San Rafael, CA and Compass High School in San Mateo are also members.

But creating the league was easier said then done. Most of the schools—because of their size—don’t have on-campus facilities to host games or the resources to pay for referees.

“Our team consists of 13 junior high and high school students, because we only have 13 uniforms,” said Mark. “Space for holding practices and games has been donated by other local independent schools and organizations.”

“Crystal Springs Uplands School is pleased to donate gymnasium space to Stanbridge Academy, because we believe in Stanbridge's mission to help students with learning differences thrive and develop their academic, social, and emotional capabilities to their fullest potential,” said Crystal Springs Uplands School Assistant Athletic Director Rob Cannone. “Stanbridge Academy is a wonderful and unique institution providing a safe, nurturing community to its students and this small gesture on our part is a recognition of their good work.”

In addition to having a population of approximately 100 students or less, all of the current schools in BASSAL have one other thing in common: they all cater to students with learning differences.

“I knew that the Bulldogs would be the perfect team for me,” said a Stanbridge 9th grader. “It’s easier for me to move around the court and things like that than it would be at a “regular” school or playing against “regular” teams.”

Craig says his first principal used to say, “Special education is just good teaching.”

“To a large extent that is the case in coaching,” said Craig. “It isn’t that the kids need so much more as so many of them are just less familiar with being in motion.”

One Stanbridge 11th grader, who is playing on the team for his third year, said the game has taught him a lot about proprioception, or the relative position of his body to others.

“Spacing is one thing that, when I first came to Stanbridge, I couldn’t do,” said the center. “It’s helpful everywhere; my room and stuff is more clean.”

Additionally, Craig says the benefits of teaching basketball extend to lessons about time management, dedication, sportsmanship, and self-confidence.

“Sometimes I used to be lonely,” said another Stanbridge 9th grader. “Now I have the team, and I’m playing for the whole school.”

Craig also says playing a popular sport gains these students access to certain social situations, something he calls the “smoke-filled room phenomenon.”

“The fact that kids with social difficulties are insulated in tiny, homogenous populations almost reinforces the problem by not having more interactions with different kids,” said Craig. “Through basketball, they will be able to comment when attending a cocktail party about playing a zone or man-to-man defense, or doing slide drills until their legs cramped. This is about comfort and access into subconscious trust circles in adulthood.”

“We are going to create a group of schools who, even in mistakes, will be trying to do the right thing for personal accountability and self-esteem, not for w’s and l’s,” said Craig. “Maybe we can help our students be part of a more civilized discourse by making them play fairly, if not necessarily equally.”

​We’ve probably all heard the old adage: “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.” But never has the saying rung so true than for Stanbridge Alumnus Carl DeLoof when his father suggested he apply for a volunteer position with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Carl spent the next summer clearing brush with chain saws, using motorboats to place signs, and eating caribou. Although he says it was the hardest he’s ever worked, he ended up going back the next summer and now dreams of returning as a wildlife biologist.

“I like to think of a job search as a sort of Venn diagram. One circle represents your personal interests and what you feel drawn to. Another represents your skills and natural abilities, basically what you do well. A third is what people are willing to pay for, what jobs exist in the real world that pay a decent amount and you can subsist off of. Where those three meet is a kind of sweet spot where you should be looking,” said Carl.

After investigating different educational avenues, including a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science, Carl started accruing credits at DeAnza College in Cupertino, CA.

“There have been set backs, huge leaps forward, and periods of growth,” said Carl. “Sometimes things might seem like two steps forward and one step back, but that’s just part of the adventure.”

Carl’s biggest advice to his fellow Bulldogs? Accept the pace of change in your life.

“Your progress doesn’t have to be at the pace anyone else expects it to be,” said Carl. “The sooner you embrace that, the greater the transformative experience will be.”

“We are all incredibly excited to be accepted into CAIS,” said CFO Lauri Kober. “The school does such an amazing job for our students, it’s nice to be recognized as part of a group of schools providing an excellent educational experience.”

CAIS is a non-profit organization of schools in California. According to their website, their mission is to “serve and strengthens its schools by setting standards of academic quality and ethical conduct, by providing for the professional growth of faculty, administrators, and trustees, and by promoting ethnic and socio-economic diversity.”

“As a provisional member we are able to tap into all the resources they have at their disposal for independent schools— whether it be pedagogy or business development,” said Head of School John O’Brien.

Login information for the private section of the website will be available soon so staff and faculty can avail themselves of the many opportunities for professional development.

“Being a member of CAIS elevates our profile in the world of independent schools and enhances our ability to serve more students,” said John.

Going forward, John says, Stanbridge is looking to acquire joint accreditation with CAIS and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), with whom Stanbridge has been accredited since 1998.

With 2015 coming to a close, I find myself reflecting on the many events and accomplishments of this past year. Moving to San Mateo and becoming part of the Stanbridge community has been a wonderful experience, and I am delighted to list here some of the more notable achievements and events of the 2015-2016 school year:

We have welcomed more than 20 new families into the Stanbridge family.

As we embark on the new year, I am excited for the adventures that lie ahead. We are hoping to be granted preliminary membership in the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) in the next few weeks.

I hope you are all enjoying family time and some much deserved rest and relaxation during this break. I look forward to seeing you all on January 4th.

​On Thursday, members of the Stanbridge Academy STAR teams delivered canned food and dried goods to St. Anthony’s, a food pantry program in San Francisco.

“The canned food drive is an annual event,” said James Warren, a Stanbridge counselor and STAR team sponsor. “[St. Anthony’s] seems to have the most need and are all set up for a drop off like ours.”

Earlier this year, STAR team also created thank you cards for veterans and held a hygiene drive, where they asked members of the Stanbridge community to donate items such as Band-aids, shaving cream, baby wipes, and combs. They then delivered all of the items to Samaritan House in San Mateo.

There are two ways to join STAR team: recommendation from a teacher or staff member and self-nomination.

“Members of STAR team are usually asked if they would like to join based on a consistent history of positive behavior,” said James. “Some kids are chosen because membership can provide a social and self-esteem building experience that certain kids really need.”

If students nominate themselves, they are put on “prospect” status and given a mentor as a guide. If, after two weeks, their teachers and peers give a thumbs-up, they are inducted as a full member.

“I want to be on STAR team to help Stanbridge be a better place, and by extension make the world a better place,” said a prospective STAR team member in his speech to the current members.

He was approved moments later after a short discussion.

“He’s a good person and helps people,” said one of the current members of the applicant, “…definitely STAR team member material.”

After the break, STAR team will create cards for Police Appreciation Week. When the members deliver the cards, they will also get a full tour to the San Mateo Police Department central station.

“There’s a lot of commitment; you need to be willing to help at any time including recess,” said the Junior STAR Team President. “But it’s worth it!”

“I took a math class, a biology class, and a Japanese beginning language class,” said Laura. “I didn’t pursue a degree at that point, because I was just thinking about general studies, nothing more.”

In December 2010, she moved up to Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juan Islands off the northwestern corner of Washington State, and began her first foray into the food and beverage industry.

“I started working for the YMCA at a camp call Camp Orkila in the kitchen,” said Laura. “I also volunteered at the senior center two times a week helping prepare the seniors’ lunch.”

After she graduates with her AAS in culinary arts, Laura has been asked to be the kitchen manager and cooking teacher for The Concerto Project, a residential transition program for young adults on the autism spectrum.

“When I began to develop the idea of The Concerto Project, I asked Laura if she would like to be involved by helping me to design a commercial kitchen that could be utilized as a training environment for young adults with autism,” said Executive Director Marian O’Brien. “Laura's sketches of the commercial kitchen that she did for the launch of the program were detailed and included all the equipment that would be needed.”

After completing the sketches, Laura collected estimates for the costs of the equipment and materials. She then began creating a series of three cookbooks with recipes for the community lunches Marian envisions for The Concerto Project.

“Laura has so many of the traits that I seek in our staff at Concerto: detail-oriented, skillful, thoughtful, kind, open-minded, big-hearted and a great sense of humor,” said Marian. “I am really looking forward to her future involvement in The Concerto Project's program!”

Laura says she was drawn to the project not only because of her love for food but because she feels an affinity towards Concerto’s future residents as well

“I know what it is like to be in their shoes, and it can be a tough place to be,” said Laura. “I want to help provide at least a little bit of that much needed support.”

Although life-after-Stanbridge is no piece of cake, she says believing in yourself can be instrumental in achieving success.

“Don’t let the struggles and stresses break you,” Laura advises current Stanbridge students. “Be confident in yourself and what you can do.”

Stanbridge Academy Junior High students are collecting presents for Family Giving Tree, a charitable organization that provides toys and gifts for very low-income children.

“This has become a Stanbridge tradition,” said Stanbridge Parent Association (SPA) Family Giving Tree Chair Susan Kufer, who says this is the 10th year Stanbridge has participated. “The Junior High really enjoys being the group that gets the word out through poster making and puts up the tree each year.”

Junior High students assembled the tree on Monday, November 30th and trimmed it with ornaments from the charity.

“The kids’ parents don’t have enough money to get them gifts,” said a Stanbridge 8th grader. “The reason I wanted to donate is so that they can have a happy Christmas.”

There are three ways to donate to Family Giving Tree:1. Take an ornament from the tree, fulfill the wish, and return the gift (unwrapped!) with a new toothbrush to the tree.2. Take an envelop from the tree and mail in a donation directly to the Family Giving Tree.3. Make an online donation to the Family Giving Tree on their website.

“I love doing stuff like this,” said Lisa Ashley, mother of a Stanbridge 6th grader, as she chose an ornament from the tree. “I think Christmas should be about giving.”

All gifts must be dropped off at Stanbridge before noon on Friday, December 11th so that they can be loaded into cars and driven to the warehouse in Milpitas.

“The students flock to the tree each year and the ornaments are brought home in their backpacks,” said Susan. “Please keep an eye out for them!”

​Sophomores and seniors in Allison St. John’s high school English classes are adapting William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet for a modern audience.

“The assignment was to recreate the play Hamlet--to tell it in our own words, in our own way,” said one 10th grader.

Students began the unit by watching a film version of Hamlet and a live performance by the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. This was the third year the SF Shakespeare Festival came to Stanbridge Academy. Previously, actors staged As You Like It and Julius Caesar.

“Shakespeare was meant to be seen live,” said Allison. “He did not write his plays to be studied in a classroom; the best way to experience Shakespeare is through performance.”

Students then worked collaboratively to adapt the play to a new location and time period.

“The result is four distinct interpretations of Hamlet unique to each class,” said Allison.

Students in Allison’s second period class were the first to complete their film. Watch it here.

“We chose [to set the play in] World War II, because the actors are only men,” said one student in the class. “It would have been hard to put in [the characters] Ophelia and Gertrude, so we did letters.”

Faced with a $0 budget, students worked creatively to bring their scripts to life. Students in the WWII group brought in military-style helmets and jackets, borrowed prop guns from Maker Teacher David Hopper, and filmed in various locations around the Stanbridge campus.

“My jacket came from Vietnam, so we had to make due,” said one of the students. “The basement scene was fun: we made it look like a war bunker.”

Students said the multimodal approach to the play made learning Hamlet easier and more fun.

“I probably would not have understood the play as well if we had just read it and not done all the other stuff,” said a sophomore.

“We raised $29,000 that night, and had about $5000 in donation before the event,” said Cindy Kuehnle, mother of a Stanbridge 5th grader and Fund-a-Need co-chair. “The families at Stanbridge are always so generous, and supportive of the school—it is really wonderful.”

More than 70 members of the Stanbridge community attended the event including parents, alumni, and teachers.

“The event was completely amazing,” said Junior High Teacher Jamie Sturos. “The Stanbridge parents came and supported the teachers. I can't ask for anything more!”

Jamie was one of several staff members who participated in the staff video, which spoofed the popular sitcom “The Office.” You can watch the video here.

“Shooting the video was a riot, and it brought all of us together,” said Jamie, who pretended to feed coal to an ancient computer and “jump start the internet” in the flick.

“We asked [Head of School] John O’Brien what he felt was the greatest need, and the answer came to him very quickly—new laptops for the teachers,” said Cindy. “I think everyone can understand the frustration of working on old, slow machines. It was an obvious choice.”

This year’s Fund-A-Need event was held at Kingfish Restaurant in San Mateo. Although a gala had been held in previous years, SPA opted for a smaller event for a variety of reasons.

“Gathering the items for the silent auction was difficult, and very time consuming. We decided to cut the silent auction part, and focus our energy on the need for new computers. This cut the space requirements for the party enabling us to move the party from a hotel ballroom into a private room at a restaurant,” said Cindy. “When you have an event in a place that is already decorated, it helps keep the budget down. This leaves more money for the computers, and lower ticket prices for the parents—a win-win.”

Following the staff video and a parody of “What the World Needs Now” sung by Counselor James Warren, Head of High School Jay Huston stepped in as master of ceremonies and asked attendees to ‘raise their paddles’ auction-style to pledge a donation.

“We are all part of this community, and I wanted to contribute to it what I can,” said Junior High Teacher Calvin Yuen, who donated to the fund. “It is also a worthy cause to purchase computers for the teachers to help our classrooms run more smoothly.”

Head of School John O’Brien says new computers will be seen in classrooms early in the new year.

“There were many hands in the success of the evening,” said Cindy. “The night would not have been the same without the help of volunteers.”

“Clubs are an important part of the holistic approach here at Stanbridge,” said Director of Admissions Susan Coyne. “Clubs support the social development of our students in a very natural setting, while providing the opportunity for them to experience being part of a team.”

More than 60 Stanbridge Academy students participated in the nine-week term, engaging in such activities as theater, cooking, and LEGO. The most popular club was Minecraft.

“Minecraft combines the creativity of LEGOs with the interactivity of video games,” said Minecraft Club Sponsor Travis Callan.

Another extremely popular club this session was the Dodgeball Club, sponsored by Computer Technology Teacher Erik Tom. The Dodgeball Club will be competing against the team from Sterne School on Monday, November 23rd. All Stanbridge students and parents are encouraged to come out and support the team.

“I thought this would be a great opportunity for our kids to meet other students at different schools,” said Erik.

Athletic Director Mark Kelley organized the game with Craig Brewer, a former Stanbridge staff member who now works at Sterne.

“This will be our first time in history that Stanbridge will be hosting a school for a athletic competition,” said Erik.

Unlike the regular school day, clubs are comprised of students from across the three divisions.

“I like getting to interact with students from all grade levels,” said Travis, who also sponsors the Games Club. “I get to be a kid with [the students] in both of the clubs that I run."

Session II clubs will be announced December 14th—the last week of classes before Winter Break—and begin the week of January 11th.

Mary Hurlbut and Lucie Kober are the newest additions to the Stanbridge Academy team. Mary will be taking on the role of director of Bridges Transition Program and resource specialist while Lucie will be joining the front office team as office manager.

Lucie is taking over for Maggie DeLoach, who moved to Middle Elementary after earning both a moderate/severe and a mild/moderate special education credential in August.

“My true niche is in teaching, and I was missing being in the classroom,” said Maggie. “I am so glad Lucie has joined us. She is a perfect addition to Susan's kid-friendly front office!

Lucie says she uses her experience as a full-time mom to set the tone in the front office and help both students and parents make the most of their Stanbridge experience.

"My tasks in the front office keep my mothering gills flowing!” said Lucie. “All the children here have been so kind and welcoming. I look forward to each and every day.”

After graduating from Denison University with a BA in language arts and sociology/anthropology, Lucie moved to New York City and worked in marketing for an insurance carrier. She met her husband at a Halloween party, and they moved to San Francisco two years later.

“I have been an at-home mom for the last 16 1/2 years and found myself at a crossroads as both my children are at the same school and can walk to and from all their activities,” said Lucie. “I am so fortunate for the opportunity at Stanbridge. I love that I can work here while my kids are in school.”

Unlike Lucie, who grew up in a small community outside Cincinnati, Ohio, Mary is a Bay Area native. She did her undergrad at Stanford University where she earned a BA in studio art—which explains the face-painting skills she demonstrated at the Halloween Carnival.

While teaching studio art and art history at Castilleja, an independent school for girls in Palo Alto, CA, Mary started working with the Peninsula Bridge Program, and, for the past 10 years, she has been creating community outreach programs.

“I’ve worked extensively initiating and developing community programs that provide students with personally meaningful and socially significant leadership opportunities,” said Mary. “Through engaging their personal gifts, talents, and interests, they contributed to their communities and grew academically and personally.”

Mary’s work has included both neurotypical and neurodiverse students.

“I’ve always been drawn to the way people think differently, and it’s been a passion of mine to help young people identify, discover, and develop their talents in a way that allows them to purposefully connect with their community,” said Mary. “I really enjoy seeing kids—especially those who have been struggling—discover who they are and how their gifts can bring them and others joy.”

Mary’s start at Stanbridge was delayed in part because she had surgery on her knee in August to repair an old ACL injury.

“I’m excited to be walking on my own two feet again and looking forward to jogging in the new year,” said Mary.

This past August, Stanbridge Academy began a semester-long pilot program with an education startup. EMOTE is an intervention support tool that allows teachers to collaborate around student emotion.

“In discussing the EMOTE platform with [EMOTE Founder Julian Golder], I realized it was based on the zones of regulation, which we already use,” said Director of Student and Staff Development Christina McMorrow. “It was clear that this would be a natural fit for increased communication between teachers.”

Julian started developing EMOTE in early June after observing the need for emotional support and early intervention while working in education over the past decade.

“Students are always moving, so each instructor only gets to see a slice of their experience,” said Julian. “EMOTE gives each teacher—and the school—a new and complete perspective of each student.”

Teachers have been asked to input each student’s emotional state (green, blue, yellow, or red) in the app throughout the day. This data is then shared with the student’s other teachers and counselors allowing them to individualize their teaching and emotional support.

“EMOTE is a safe and secure way for staff to identify the emotional space and needs of out students,” said Head of High School Jay Huston. “Teachers use it to identify the times we should ‘take it easy’ on a student or strategize with the student techniques they can use to be successful in our class even though they are in a ‘non-green’ emotional state.”

While the platform is ideal for high school and junior high environments where students change instructors multiple times a day, it also benefits elementary school teachers.“When you’re teaching, you often think of the classroom as a global entity,” said Upper Elementary School Teacher Jerrod Nelson. “EMOTE is a great tool for me to check in on each student individually.”Julian meets with a group of Stanbridge teachers and Chris on an almost weekly basis to see what changes can be made to improve the app.“It’s a unique opportunity for us to be able to weigh in on new features that will help increase utility,” said Chris. “We basically get to customize it to fit our unique needs.”One of the reasons Stanbridge has been so successful as a pilot school, says Julian, is the teachers’ willingness to embrace new technology.“Stanbridge is a great school because it’s willing to adopt innovation,” said Julian. “It’s amazing to see that there’s not an insecurity or fear around trying new things.”Julian has big plans for EMOTE in the future. The app was recently accepted by Launch, an incubator for education startups, and he hopes to roll out student and parent versions of the platform soon.“This is the future of behavior support,” said Jay. “We’re lucky to be in on the ground floor!”

When Jonathan Murphy arrived at Stanbridge Academy at age 12, he preferred to stay in the background. Happiness was not being noticed or asked to engage. I think it came from fear of being picked on or bullied, a common occurrence at his previous school. But Stanbridge was different, Richard, the headmaster at the time told him. And he was right. For the first time, Jonathan was in a welcoming and accepting environment and he had teachers who cared enough to help him come out of his bubble—to break down his protective walls and learn to engage in life.

What we didn’t know then is that Jonathan is on the autism spectrum. But by the time he was diagnosed, he was already at Stanbridge, the best learning and social environment for his needs. He thrived at Stanbridge, taking on new challenges and building his character.

“He went from an insecure introvert to someone who has the potential to change the world,” said one of his teachers at his Stanbridge high school graduation in 2004.

Jonathan never thought he’d be able to go to college, but that’s what he did right after high school. Stanbridge gave him the confidence to try. He attended a well-respected two-year theater conservatory at Foothill College and in order to complete an AA in theater, he had to complete his general ed. So he took one class at a time and after 5 years he did it…on his own…and with honors!

Today, Jonathan works as a professional voice actor. His character voices are on animation, video games, and it’s his voice that you hear throughout the park when you are at California’s Great America. He’s worked hard to get to where he is today. He recently won the “People’s Choice Award” at the 2015 Northwest Tall Tale Challenge bringing the crowd to cheers over his dorky adaptation of the Three Little Pigs. And he just earned enough points to be able to join SAG-AFTRA, a labor union for people working in television, radio, and film.

A year ago, I founded Geek Club Books, an autism nonprofit that tells the stories of autism in innovative, creative ways—apps, digital media, webisodes, curriculum—to educate children about autism. Jonathan is involved in our latest project, Bluebee TeeVee Autism Information Station—a series of entertaining, educational webisodes about autism. Jonathan does the character voices for the Bluebee Pals. James Sullivan is the show’s host, scriptwriter, filmmaker and, like Jonathan, is also on the autism spectrum.

We just released episode 1, “What is Autism?” and it’s already been viewed more than 11,000 times on Facebook and YouTube. We think it’s because it’s the only pop-culture show with an authentic, friendly view of autism by those on the autism spectrum. Jonathan’s proud to be a part of something that can change how the world views autism and bring about a new world of inclusion and acceptance.

Jonathan’s advice for current Stanbridge students: “Don’t take everything so seriously. Don’t be afraid to fail, and just enjoy life as it comes. If you keep trying and work at something you love, you can achieve your dreams and have a good life.”

“It's a different experience from everyday in school,” said a Stanbridge senior, who went to Second Harvest. “It was very productive. We helped box up the produce.”

The students at Second Harvest boxed, weighed, put 18,000 lbs of sweet potatoes on pallets for delivery in two hours—a new record!

“The students are focused, and they work so hard,” said Susan Kufer, parent of a Stanbridge senior and community service organizer. “One of the agencies we work with regularly asked us to reduce our hours, because we were overwhelming them with too much efficiency.”

Susan first approached Stanbridge about adding a community service component to the high school curriculum in 2011.

“[Community service] is a fantastic way to do things outside yourself, and it fits into the Stanbridge modality of learning life skills,” said Susan. “We used to do it on staff development days, but it was tricky because of age cutoffs and transportation. We had to cancel a couple and always seemed to see the same 10 kids.”

Then-Head of School Marilyn Lynch granted Susan two days a year for the high school students to participate in community service activities. The program expanded to three days the following year.

“Community service provides both a local awareness and experience in the service industry,” said High School Spanish and Woodshop Teacher Aaron Carter. “It is an opportunity for students to help, learn, and excel in a real world environment; a win-win in my book.”

High school students will have two more opportunities to participate in community service activities later this year. In addition to InnVision and Second Harvest, students will have the option of serving lunch to the homeless at Glide Memorial Church or working with the Golden Gate Park Conservancy to extricate invasive species in the Presidio of San Francisco.

Stanbridge Academy is a caring, inclusive K-12 school for students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders. We use an individualized, whole student approach so that students thrive and develop their academic, social, and emotional capabilities to their fullest potential.